Organic

Geochemistry
Organic Geochemistry 37 (2006) 1–11
www.elsevier.com/locate/orggeochem

Review
q
Organic geochemistry – A retrospective of its first 70 years
Keith A. Kvenvolden *

U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, MS 999, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA

Received 1 September 2005; accepted 1 September 2005

Available online 18 October 2005

Abstract

Organic geochemistry had its origin in the early part of the 20th century when organic chemists and geologists realized
that detailed information on the organic materials in sediments and rocks was scientifically interesting and of practical
importance. The generally acknowledged ‘‘father’’ of organic geochemistry is Alfred E. Treibs (1899–1983), who discov-
ered and described, in 1936, porphyrin pigments in shale, coal, and crude oil, and traced the source of these molecules to
their biological precursors. Thus, the year 1936 marks the beginning of organic geochemistry. However, formal organiza-
tion of organic geochemistry dates from 1959 when the Organic Geochemistry Division (OGD) of The Geochemical Soci-
ety was founded in the United States, followed 22 years later (1981) by the establishment of the European Association of
Organic Geochemists (EAOG). Organic geochemistry (1) has its own journal, Organic Geochemistry (beginning in 1979)
which, since 1988, is the official journal of the EAOG, (2) convenes two major conferences [International Meeting on
Organic Geochemistry (IMOG), since 1962, and Gordon Research Conferences on Organic Geochemistry (GRC), since
1968] in alternate years, and (3) is the subject matter of several textbooks. Organic geochemistry is now a widely recognized
geoscience in which organic chemistry has contributed significantly not only to geology (i.e., petroleum geochemistry,
molecular stratigraphy) and biology (i.e., biogeochemistry), but also to other disciplines, such as chemical oceanography,
environmental science, hydrology, biochemical ecology, archaeology, and cosmochemistry.
Published by Elsevier Ltd.

1. Introduction latter half of the 18th century saw the independent

Organic geochemistry is a modern geoscience
that results from the amalgamation of many aspects
from the two fundamental, but disparate, scientific
disciplines of geology and organic chemistry. The
q
Material in this paper was presented orally at the 229th
American Chemical Society National Meeting, San Diego, CA,
March 2005 in a symposium ‘‘History of Organic Geochemistry’’.
*
Tel.: +1 650 329 4196.
E-mail address: kkvenvolden@usgs.gov.
rise of each of these basic disciplines. Geology be-
gan in the 50 years between 1775 and 1825 with
the musings of James Hutton (see McIntyre,
1963); organic chemistry, during approximately
the same time interval, grew out of the recognition
of the basic difference between organic and inor-
ganic chemical compounds – organic compounds al-
ways contain carbon (see Noller, 1957). Geology
and organic chemistry continued to evolve indepen-
dently until the early part of the 20th century
when geologists realized the scientific and practical

0146-6380/$ - see front matter. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

doi:10.1016/j.orggeochem.2005.09.001
2 K.A. Kvenvolden / Organic Geochemistry 37 (2006) 1–11

importance of organic matter in rocks, and organic
chemists discovered that rocks contain an abun-
dance of organic compounds of fundamental and
applied interest. The purpose of this paper is to
(1) update information about the formal organiza-
tion of organic geochemistry, (2) summarize the
lives of early practitioners in the field, (3) gauge
the content of the subject matter, and (4) acknowl-
edge those who organized organic geochemistry
and those who have helped sustain the field through
their editorships of Organic Geochemistry. Fig. 1
shows a timeline of events in the development of
the history of organic geochemistry.
2. Origins and awards
Two individuals can be identified who success-
fully merged geology and organic chemistry in the
1930s. From the geologic side, Parker D. Trask
(Fig. 2A) related the organic materials in sediments
(Trask, 1932) and sedimentary rocks (Trask and
Patnode, 1942) to an understanding of the source
beds of petroleum. From the organic chemistry side,
Alfred E. Treibs (Fig. 2B) discovered organic (por-
phyrin) pigments in shale, crude oil, and coal (Tre-
ibs, 1936), and demonstrated that these pigments
were degradation products from biological sub-
stances (chlorophyll and hemin), thus linking geo-
molecules to biomolecules. These men were
contemporaries, both born in 1899, but it is unlikely
that their paths ever crossed.
2.1. Parker D. Trask
Parker Trask (Fig. 2A) came from New England
in the United States, and was educated in Califor-
nia, obtaining an advanced degree in geology from
the University of California at Berkeley. From
1926 to 1931 he was a research associate with the
American Petroleum Institute (API), working on
studies related to petroleum source rocks. In 1931
the source-bed project became a joint undertaking
with the API and the U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS), and Trask became a USGS employee, a
connection he retained full time for 15 years and
part time thereafter until his death in 1961. The
joint API/USGS project, which he led, continued
for 10 years during which time the chemical and
physical properties of more than 25,000 samples
from many geological formations from most parts
of the United States were studied. The goal was to
determine possible relationships between these sam-
ples and oil reservoirs in a search for clues to the
recognition of true petroleum source beds. During

ORGANIC GEOCHEMISTRY TIMELINE

Treibs
(Organic Chemistry) Organic Geochemistry

Trask (Geology)
Petroleum
Geochemistry
Organic Geochemistry Division,
The Geochemical Society

European Association of Organic Geochemists

Journal Organic Geochemistry

Gordon Research Conferences

on Organic Geochemistry
International Meetings
on Organic Geochemistry
50
40

00

10
30

90
60

70

80
19
19

20

20
19

19
19

19

19

Fig. 1. Timeline showing the history of the development of organic geochemistry.

 K.A. Kvenvolden / Organic Geochemistry 37 (2006) 1–11 3

Fig. 2. Early practitioners of organic geochemistry: (A) Parker D. Trask (!1960), a geological organic geochemist; (B) Alfred E. Treibs
(1979), a chemical organic geochemist, and the ‘‘Father of Organic Geochemistry’’; (C) G.T. Philippi (!1979), first recipient of the A.E.
Treibs Award.

Fig. 3. The organizers of organic geochemistry as a geoscience discipline: (A) Bart Nagy, founder of OGD; (B) Pieter Schenck, founder of
EAOG.

Fig. 4. The Editors of the journal Organic Geochemistry: Irving Breger, Earl Baker, Pieter Schenck, Archie Douglas, Joe Curiale, James
Maxwell, and Lloyd Snowdon.
4 K.A. Kvenvolden / Organic Geochemistry 37 (2006) 1–11
much of his later life (after 1941) Trask devoted his
attention to engineering geology, and he is better
remembered as an engineering geologist than an or-
ganic geochemist (Bailey, 1962; Gilluly, 1963). He
probably did not even consider himself an organic
geochemist, and perhaps did not even know that
he was, in essence, an early practitioner of organic
geochemistry on a grand scale, emphasizing the
‘‘geo’’ aspects of the subject.
2.2. Alfred E. Treibs
In contrast to Trask, Alfred Treibs (Fig. 2B) was
well recognized during his lifetime as an organic
geochemist. His scientific research on porphyrin pig-
ments in various geological materials, spanning al-
most five decades, set the stage and the standard
for the new geoscience of organic geochemistry.
His pioneering body of work is internationally rec-
ognized, and he was acclaimed and honored on
his 80th birthday in 1979 by the symposium entitled
‘‘The Impact of the Treibs! Porphyrin Concept on
the Modern Organic Geochemistry’’ (Prashnowsky,
1980). In 1999, 16 years after his death, a sympo-
sium was ‘‘Dedicated to the Memory of Alfred Tre-
ibs, the Father of Organic Geochemistry on the
100th Anniversary of his Birthday’’ (Prashnowsky,
2002).
Treibs was born in the German village of Idar-
Oberstein; his home is now marked with a bronze
plaque [GEBURTSHAUS VON PROF. DR.
ALFRED TREIBS (1899–1983) BEGRÜNDER
DER ORGANISCHEN GEOCHEMIE]. He stud-
ied chemistry in Aachen and later in Munich where
he obtained advanced academic degrees at the
Technical University (TU). He continued on the
staff at the TU for most of his career, except for
the time from 1936 to 1945 when he worked at
Wacker-Chemie, an industrial research institute.
During his 50-year association with the TU, he
was involved with research on porphyrins, first as
a student supervised by Han Fischer (awarded a
Nobel Prize for the utilization of physico-chemical
methods applied to pyrroles, the basic structures of
porphyrins), and later as Fischer!s colleague, as a
research leader, and as a teacher. At the TU, Treibs
laid the foundations of the science of Organic Geo-
chemistry with his fundamental research leading to
an understanding of the significance of porphyrin
pigments in shale, oil, and coal (Treibs, 1936). With
the recognition of Treibs as the ‘‘father’’ of organic
geochemistry, the date 1936 represents the begin-
ning of the geoscience of organic geochemistry, 70
years ago. A tribute to Treibs has been provided
by Seifert (1977), who was one of Treibs! many
students.
2.3. Awards
In recognition of the pioneering work of Alfred
Treibs, an award was established in his name. The
Alfred E. Treibs Award (consisting of a Medal and
Certificate) is given for ‘‘outstanding contributions
to Organic Geochemistry’’, and was presented as
an honorary award to A.E. Treibs in 1979. In
the same year, the first designated recipient was
G.T. (Ted) Philippi (Fig. 2C) for his pioneering
work in petroleum geochemistry, a major part of
organic geochemistry. Much of his research was
conducted from 1936 to 1968 in various laborato-
ries of Shell Oil Company. His publications,
though not numerous, were recognized by the or-
ganic geochemical community as conceptually
important and very stimulating. Appearing late in
his professional career, after a lifetime of experi-
ence, his publications, beginning about 1957, dealt
with (1) the chemical recognition of petroleum
source rocks, (2) the importance of subsurface tem-
peratures on the formation and composition of
petroleum, (3) the roles of marine and terrestrial
plants as the ultimate sources of petroleum, and
(4) the nature and extent of bacterial affects on
petroleum. His active life as a petroleum geochem-
ist continued unabated after his retirement in 1968,
and many of his publications appeared after that
date. His early contributions to petroleum geo-
chemistry have been outstanding.
From 1979 through 2002, 17 organic geochemists
have received the Treibs Award (Kvenvolden,
2002). Since 2002 this award has been presented to
Roger Summons (2003), Eric Galimov (2004), and
Jaap Sinninghe Damsté (2005). Two other awards
are given to recognize organic geochemists – the Pi-
eter A. Schenck Award and the Australian Organic
Geochemistry Medal. The Schenck Award is given
every second year to a scientist under 35 years of
age who has made a major contribution to any spe-
cific area of organic geochemistry or related field.
The awardees have been J. Sinninghe Damsté
(1993), Mark McCaffrey (1995), Kate Freeman
(1997), Stefan Schouten (1999), and Kliti Grice
(2001). The Australian Organic Geochemistry
Medal for lifetime achievement in organic geochem-
istry has been awarded to John Smith (1991).
 K.A. Kvenvolden / Organic Geochemistry 37 (2006) 1–11
Basil Johns (1993), Trevor Powell (1995), Dave
McKirdy (1996), Bob Alexander (1998), Barry Batts
(2000), Roger Summons (2002), and John Volkman
(2004).
3. Organizations and conferences
Organic geochemistry was formally organized
and recognized as a geoscience about 30 years after
Treibs and Trask set the stage (Fig. 1). In 1959 Bart
Nagy (Fig. 3A) established the Organic Geochemis-
try Division (OGD) of The Geochemical Society
(GS), which met for the first time in 1960 at the an-
nual meeting of the Geological Society of America.
By early 1961, OGD was recognized as an integral
part of GS. Pieter Schenck (Fig. 3B) organized the
European Association of Organic Geochemists
(EAOG) in 1981, and EAOG met at the 11th Inter-
national Meeting on Organic Geochemistry at The
Hague, The Netherlands in 1983. The officers
(Chairperson and Secretary) through 2003 for both
organizations were tabulated in Kvenvolden (2002).
Since this compilation the 2003–2005 officers for
OGD are M. Whiticar, Chairperson, and T. Dickne-
ider, Secretary. For EAOG the officers since 2002
are R. Patience, Chairperson, and S. Derenne,
Secretary.
After OGD was formally organized in 1959, two
series of conferences have been devoted specifically
to organic geochemistry for more than 40 years
(Fig. 1) – International Meetings on Organic
Geochemistry (IMOG) and Gordon Research
Conferences (GRC) on Organic Geochemistry.
IMOG began in 1962 with a gathering in Milan,
Italy, and has met consistently every other year (ex-
cept for a three-year hiatus between 1968 and
1971) since 1962. A tabulation of the first 20
IMOGs (from 1962 to 2001) appears in Kvenv-
olden (2002). The 21st IMOG (2003) took place in
Kraków, Poland, with M. Kotarba (Chairperson)
and B. Stankiewicz & M. Kotarba (Proceedings
Editors). The 22nd IMOG (2005) took place in
Seville, Spain, with F. González-Vila as Chair-
person.
GRCs on Organic Geochemistry have been held
every other year at Holderness School, New
Hampshire, since 1968. The 1968 conference was
titled ‘‘Organic Geochemistry’’, but in 1970 and
1972 the conferences were titled ‘‘Geochemistry’’,
although the main topic of discussion was organic
geochemistry. From 1974 to the present, the name
‘‘Organic Geochemistry’’ has been used to identify
5
the subject matter of these conferences. The idea of
a GRC on organic geochemistry seems to have
originated in 1963 with a conference entitled
‘‘Origin of Petroleum’’. For the next six years,
GRCs were convened and dealt with broad issues
in geochemistry, including organic geochemistry,
but it was not until 1968 and thereafter that GRCs
focused specifically on organic geochemistry. A
tabulation of GRCs (from 1968 to 2002) is given
in Kvenvolden (2002). One GRC has met since in
2004 with S. Wakeham as Chairperson.
4. The journal Organic Geochemistry
Responding to the proliferation of technical pa-
pers addressing organic geochemical topics, Irving
Breger established the journal Organic Geochemistry
in 1977, published by Pergamon Press. He served as
Editor-in-Chief until the time of his death in 1982.
In volume 1, number 1 (1977) of the journal, Breger
wrote the FORWARD which read:
Organic Geochemistry has been established in
response to the need for a specialized medium
for the publication of research in this highly
interdisciplinary field. At present papers con-
cerned with interrelated fields such as organic
chemistry, inorganic chemistry, geology, mineral-
ogy, biogeochemistry, oceanography, hydrology,
atmospherics and extraterrestrial subjects are
published in many scattered journals. It is
intended that Organic Geochemistry serve as a
medium for the publication of reports on all
phases of geochemistry in which organic sub-
stances play a role. Interpretation of this policy
will be liberal to permit the broadest possible
exchange of ideas. Among others, papers related
to crude oils, coals, natural gas and shales and
their associated substances will be welcome, as
will reports of studies on the roles of organic sub-
stances in the geochemical cycles of various ele-
ments. Reports of paleontological and coal
petrographic studies will be considered favorably
if they are geochemically oriented. Letters to the
Editor, relevant news and book reviews will be
published. Individual issues of Organic Geochem-
istry may be devoted to papers at Symposia.
This statement became the Aims and Scope of
the journal through v. 20, n. 3 (1993); in the next
issue [v. 20, n. 4 (1993)] the Aims and Scope were
expanded and have appeared in most issues of
the journal to the present. The expanded version
6 K.A. Kvenvolden / Organic Geochemistry 37 (2006) 1–11

can be found at the frontmatter of this issue of Or-
ganic Geochemistry. In addition to the major points
of the original statement, the current version in-
cludes several more specific aspects of organic
geochemistry, such as molecular and isotope geo-
chemistry (including compound-specific isotope
techniques), environmental geochemistry, organic
matter in marine and non-marine sediments, organic-
rich rocks and soils, archaeological chemistry, bio-
geochemical ecology, biomolecular paleontology,
and molecular stratigraphy. The journal seeks pa-
pers covering the full range of research activities
in organic geochemistry. Earl W. Baker assumed
editorship of the journal in 1983 with v. 5, n. 1
(1983). Also this issue noted the journal!s official
affiliation with EAOG. With v. 12, n. 1 (1988)
Organic Geochemistry became ‘‘The Official Journal
of EAOG’’ with co-editors Earl Baker and Pieter
Schenck. To date seven individuals have served as
Editors of Organic Geochemistry (Fig. 4).
5. Textbooks in Organic Geochemistry
In addition to the journal Organic Geochemistry,
several books and compilations of papers have been
prepared which serve as textbooks on the subject.
Table 1 lists the Proceedings of IMOG. Each of
these 21 (as of 2005) compilations of papers is
assembled under the title ‘‘Advances in Organic
Geochemistry’’ and presents an up-to-date view of
organic geochemistry as of the date of each IMOG
conference. Examples of textbooks containing

Table 1
Advances in Organic Geochemistry. Proceedings of the International Meetings on Organic Geochemistry (IMOG)
IMOG Year Publication details
1st 1962 International Series of Monographs on Earth Sciences, No. 15, Pergamon Press, distributed by The Macmillan
Company, USA (1964), 488p
2nd 1964 International Series of Monographs on Earth Sciences, No. 24, Pergamon Press, UK (1966), 330p
3rd 1966 International Series of Monographs in Earth Sciences, No. 32, Pergamon Press, UK (1970), 577p
4th 1968 International Series of Monographs in Earth Sciences, No. 31, Pergamon Press, UK (1969), 617p
5th 1971 International Series of Monographs in Earth Sciences, No. 33, Pergamon Press, UK (1972), 736p
6th 1973 Éditions Technip, France (1974), 1080p
7th 1975 Empresa National Adaro de Investigaciones Mineras, S.A. (ENADIMSA), Spain (1977), 911p
8th 1977 Abstracts only published in meeting program. Index to Abstracts in Organic Geochemistry, 1, 115–121 (1978)
9th 1979 Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, vol. 12, Pergamon Press, UK (1980), 784p
10th 1981 Organized by EAOG, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., UK, (1983), 880p
11th 1983 Organized by EAOG, Organic Geochemistry 6, 1–892 (1984)
12th 1985 Organized by EAOG, Part I, Petroleum Geochemistry. Organic Geochemistry 10(1–3), 1–648 (1986); Part II,
Molecular and General Organic Geochemistry. Organic Geochemistry 10(4–6), 649–1142 (1986)
13th 1987 Part I, Organic Geochemistry in Petroleum Exploration. Organic Geochemistry 13(1–3), 1–572 (1988); Part II,
Analytical Geochemistry. Organic Geochemistry 13(4–6), 573–1168 (1988)
14th 1989 Part I, Organic Geochemistry in Petroleum Exploration. Organic Geochemistry 16(1–3), 1–640 (1990); Part II,
Molecular Geochemistry. Organic Geochemistry 16(4–6), 641–1237 (1990)
15th 1991 Part I & Part II, Advances and Applications in Energy and the Natural Environment. Organic Geochemistry 19(1–6),
1–556 (1992)
16th 1993 Organic Geochemistry 22(3–5), 355–884 (1994)
17th 1995 Part I, Paleoclimate and Palaeoceanography. Organic Geochemistry 24(4), 399–472 (1996); Part II, Biopolymers and
Macromolecules. Organic Geochemistry 24(6/7), 593–750 (1996); Part III, Origin of Natural Gas; Petroleum
Geochemistry; Impact of Organic Geochemistry on Exploration; Migration and Expulsion of Oil and Gas. Organic
Geochemistry 24(10/11), 947–1096 (1996); Part IV, Reservoir and Production Geochemistry. Organic Geochemistry
24(12), 1097–1198 (1966); Part V, Environmental Organic Geochemistry; Microbial Geochemistry. Organic
Geochemistry 25(1/2), 1–130, (1996); Part VI, Palaeoenvironmental and Source Rock Occurrence; Biogeochemical
Cycling of Sulphur and Other Elements. Organic Geochemistry 25(5–7), 265–626 (1996); Part VII, Analytical
Developments in Organic Geochemistry; Archaeological and Palaeontological Organic Geochemistry. Organic
Geochemistry 26(1/2), 1–154 (1997)
18th 1997 Part I, Petroleum Geochemistry. Organic Geochemistry 29(1–3), 1–810 (1998); Part II, Biogeochemistry. Organic
Geochemistry 29(5–7), 1025–1835 (1998)
19th 1999 Petroleum Geochemistry; Biogeochemistry. Organic Geochemistry 31(12), 1263–1804 (2000)
20th 2001 Petroleum Geochemistry; Organic Matter Structure and Reactivity; Depositional Environments and
Biogeochemistry; Soil and Environmental Geochemistry. Organic Geochemistry 33(12), 1273–1770 (2002)
21st 2003 Diagenesis of Molecules and Sediments; Environmental and Soil Geochemistry; Petroleum Geochemistry. Organic
Geochemistry 35(11–12), 1197–1634 (2004)
 K.A. Kvenvolden / Organic Geochemistry 37 (2006) 1–11 7

Table 2
Examples of Organic Geochemistry textbooks that contain papers by many authors, assembled by an Editor or Editors
Breger, I.A., 1963. Organic Geochemistry, International Series of Monographs on Earth Sciences, vol. 16. The Macmillan Co., New York,
USA, 658p
Nagy, B., Colombo, U., 1967. Fundamental Aspects of Petroleum Geochemistry. Elsevier, The Netherlands, 388p
Eglinton, G., Murphy, M.T.J., 1969. Organic Geochemistry – Methods and Results. Springer-Verlag, Germany, 828p
Durand, B., 1980. Kerogen – Insoluble Organic Matter from Sedimentary Rocks. Editions Technip, France, 519p
Kvenvolden, K.A., 1980. Geochemistry of Organic Molecules, Benchmark Papers in Geology, vol. 52. Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross,
Inc., USA, 357p
Brooks, J., 1981. Organic Maturation Studies and Fossil Fuel Exploration. Academic Press, UK, 441p
Atkinson, G., Zuckerman, J.J., 1981. Origin and Chemistry of Petroleum. Pergamon, UK, 116p
Brooks, J., 1983. Petroleum Geochemistry and Exploration of Europe, The Geological Society Special Publication No. 12. Blackwell
Scientific Publications, UK, 379p
Isaacs, C.M., Garrison, R.E., 1983. Petroleum Generation and Occurrence in the Miocene Monterey Formation, CA. Pacific Section,
Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, USA, 228p
Miknis, F.P., McKay, J.F., 1983. Geochemistry and Chemistry of Oil Shales, ACS Symposium Series 230. American Chemical Society,
USA, 565p
Palacas, J.G., 1984. Petroleum Geochemistry and Source Rock Potential of Carbonate Rocks, AAPG Studies in Geology, No. 18.
American Association of Petroleum Geologists, USA, 208p
Brooks, J., Welte, D., 1984. Advances in Petroleum Geochemistry, vol. 1. Academic Press, UK, 344p
Demaison, G., Murris, R.J., 1984. Petroleum Geochemistry and Basin Evaluation, AAPG Memoir 35. American Association of
Petroleum Geologists, USA, 426p
Johns, R.B., 1986. Biological Markers in the Sedimentary Record. Elsevier, The Netherlands, 364
Magoon, L.B., Claypool, G.E., 1986. Alaska North Slope Oil/Rock Correlation Study – Analysis of North Slope Crude, AAPG Studies in
Geology No. 20. American Association of Petroleum Geologists, USA, 682p
Beaumont, E.A., Foster, N.H., 1988. Geochemistry, Treatise of Petroleum Geology, Reprint Series No. 8. American Association of
Petroleum Geologists, USA, 660p
Degens, E.T., 1989. Perspectives on Biogeochemistry. Springer-Verlag, Germany, 423p
Moldowan, R.M., Albrecht, P., Philp, R.P., 1992. Biological Markers in Sediments and Petroleum, Prentice-Hall, USA, 411p
Whelan, J.K., Farrington, J.W., 1992. Organic Matter: Productivity, Accumulation, and Preservation in Recent and Ancient Sediments.
Columbia University Press, USA, 533p
Engel, M.H., Macko, S.A., 1993. Organic Geochemistry – Principles and Applications. Plenum Press, USA, 861p

Table 3
Examples of Organic Geochemistry textbooks in which the content has been prepared by the listed textbook authors
Swain, F.G., 1970. Non-marine Organic Geochemistry. Cambridge University Press, UK, 445p
Tissot, B.F., Welte, D.H., 1978. Petroleum Formation and Occurrence. Springer-Verlag, Germany, 538p
Hunt, J.M., 1979. Petroleum Geochemistry and Geology. Freeman, USA, 617p
Waples, D., 1981. Organic Geochemistry for Exploration Geologists. Burgess, USA, 151p
Tissot, B.F., Welte, D.H., 1984. Petroleum Formation and Occurrence. second ed. Springer-Verlag, Germany, 699p
Philp, R.P., 1985. Fossil Fuel Biomarkers – Applications and Spectra. Elsevier, The Netherlands, 294p
Waples, D.W., 1985. Geochemistry in Petroleum Exploration. International Human Resources Development Corporation (IHRDC),
USA, 232p
Waples, E.W., Machihara, T., 1991. Biomarkers for Geologists – A Practical Guide to the Application of Steranes and Triterpanes in
Petroleum Geology, AAPG Methods in Exploration No. 9, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, USA, 91p
Killops, S.D., Killops V.J., 1993. An Introduction to Organic Geochemistry. Longman Group, UK, 265p
Peters, K.E., Moldowan, J.M., 1993. The Biomarker Guide – Interpreting Molecular Fossils in Petroleum and Ancient Sediments.
Prentice-Hall, USA, 363p
Hunt, J.M., 1996. Petroleum Geochemistry and Geology, second ed. Freeman, USA, 743p
Killops, S.D., Killops, V.J., 2005. Introduction to Organic Geochemistry, second ed., Blackwell, USA, 393p
Peters, K.E., Walters, C.C., Moldowan, J.M., 2005. The Biomarker Guide, second ed. Cambridge University Press, UK, 1155p

papers in organic geochemistry by many different in subject matter from general organic geochemistry
authors are listed in Table 2, and textbooks in which to specialties such as petroleum geochemistry and
the entire content was prepared by one to three the organic geochemistry of non-marine sediments,
authors are listed in Table 3. These textbooks range oil shales, and carbonate rocks.
8 K.A. Kvenvolden / Organic Geochemistry 37 (2006) 1–11

Table 4
Organic Geochemistry Division, Best Paper Award Winners
Award year Title Authors Source
Molecular Organic Geochemistry
1971 Nonprotein amino acids in the Murchison K. Kvenvolden, J. Lawless, C. Proceedings, National Academy
meteorite Ponnamperuma of Sciences (U.S.) 68 (2), 486–490
(1971)
1972 Proof of structure of steroid carboxylic acids in a W. Seifert, E. Gallegos, R. Teeter Journal American Chemical
California petroleum by deuterium labeling, Society 94, 5880–5887 (1972)
Synthesis and mass spectrometry
1974 Tri- and tetraterpenoid hydrocarbons in the B. Kimble, J. Maxwell, P. Philp, GCA 38, 1165–1181 (1974)
Messel shale G. Eglinton, P. Albrecht, A.
Ensminger, P. Arpino, G.
Ourisson
1975 Rearranged steranes in shale: occurrence and I. Rubinstein, D. Sieskind, P. Journal Chemical Society 1975,
simulated formation Albrecht 1833–1836 (1975)
1977 Diterpenoid compounds in other lipids in deep-sea B. Simoneit GCA 41, 463–476 (1977)
sediments and their geochemical significance
1987 Identification of aryl isoprenoids in source rocks R. Summons, T. Powell GCA 51, 557–566 (1987)
and crude oils: biological markers in the green
sulphur bacteria
1989 Quenching of labile functionalized lipids by J. Sinninghe Damsté, W. GCA 53, 1343–1355 (1989)
inorganic sulphur species: evidence for the Rijpstra, A. Kock-van Dalen, J.
formation or sedimentary organic sulphur de Leeuw, P. Schenck
compounds at the early stages of diagenesis
1998 Variability in radiocarbon ages of individual T. Eglinton, B. Benitez-Nelson, Science 277, 796–799 (1997)
compounds from marine sediments A. Pearson, A. McNichol, V.
Bauer, E. Druffel
Biogeochemistry
1977 Biogeochemistry of Mono Lake, California W. Reed GCA 41, 1231–1245 (1977)
1979 Sterol geochemistry of sediments from the western C. Lee, J. Farrington, R. GCA 43, 35–46 (1979)
North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent coastal areas Gagosian
1982 Volatile fatty acid cycling in organic-rich marine F. Sansone, C. Martens GCA 46, 1575–1589 (1982)
sediments
1986 Biogenic methane formation in marine and M. Whiticar, E. Faber, M. GCA 50, 693–709 (1986)
freshwater environments: CO2 reduction vs. Schoell
acetate fermentation – Isotope evidence
1989 The occurrence and identification of series of J. Sinninghe Damsté, W. GCA 53, 1323–1341 (1989)
organic sulphur compounds in oils and sediment Rijpstra, J. de Leeuw, P. Schenck
extracts: II. Their presence in samples from
hypersaline and non-hypersaline
palaeoenvironments and possible application as
source, palaeoenvironmental and maturity
indicators
1996 Dependence of phytoplankton carbon isotopic E. Laws, B. Popp, R. Bidigare, GCA 59, 1131–1138 (1995)
composition on growth rate and [CO2]aq: M. Kennicutt, S. Macko
theoretical considerations and experimental
results
1997 Reactivity of recently deposited organic matter: E. Canuel C. Martens GCA 60, 193–1806 (1996)
degradation of lipid compounds near the
sediment–water interface

Petroleum Geochemistry
1973 Bacterial degradation of crude oil: comparison of N. Bailey, A. Jobson, M. Rogers Chemical Geology 11, 203–221
field and experimental data (1973)
1973 Alteration of crude oil by waters and bacteria – N. Bailey, H. Krouse C. Evans American Association of
evidence from geochemical and isotope studies M. Rogers Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 57,
1276–1290 (1973)
1974 Origine et migration des hydrocarbures dans le B. Tissot, J. Espitalié, G. Deroo, In Advances in Organic
Sahara Oriental (Algérie) C. Tempere, D. Jonathan Geochemistry, 1973, Editions
Technip, France, 315–334 (1974)
 K.A. Kvenvolden / Organic Geochemistry 37 (2006) 1–11 9

Table 4 (continued)
Award year Title Authors Source
1978 Applications of steranes, terpanes and W. Seifert, M. Moldowan GCA 42, 77–95 (1978)
monoaromatics to the maturation, migration and
source of crude oils
1980 Molecular parameters of maturation in the A. Mackenzie, R. Patience, GCA 44, 1709–1721 (1980)
Toarcian shales, Paris Basin, France – I. Changes J. Maxwell, M. Vandenbroucke,
in the configurations of acyclic isoprenoid alkanes, B. Durand
steranes and triterpanes
1983 Isomerization and aromatization of hydrocarbons A. Mackenzie, D. McKenzie Geology Magazine 120, 417–
in sedimentary basins formed by extension 470 (1983)
1990 Origin of Beatrice oil by co-sourcing from K. Peters, M. Moldowan, A. American Association of
Devonian and Middle Jurassic source rocks, Inner Driscole, G. Demaison Petroleum Geologists
Firth, United Kingdom Bulletin 73, 455–471 (1989)
1991 The origin of light hydrocarbons in petroleum: a F. Mango GCA 54, 1315–1323 (1990)
kinetic test of the steady-state catalytic hypothesis
1993 Extraction of whole versus ground source rocks: L. Price, J. Clayton GCA 56, 1213–1222 (1992)
fundamental petroleum geochemical implications
including oil-source rock correlations
1994 Hydrocarbon composition of authigenic D. Karlsen, T. Nedkvitne, S. GCA 57, 3641–3659 (1993)
inclusions: application to elucidation of petroleum Larter, K. Bjørlykke
reservoir filling history
Miscellaneous
1976 Land-derived organic matter in surface sediments J. Hedges P. Parker GCA 40, 1019–1029 (1976)
from the Gulf of Mexico
1976 Thermal alteration of young kerogen in relation to R. Ishiwatari, M. Ishiwatari, I. Nature 264, 347–349 (1976)
petroleum genesis Kaplan, B. Rohrback
1981 Thermal alteration of Cretaceous black shale by B. Simoneit, S. Brenner, K. GCA 45, 1581–1602 (1981)
diabase intrusions in the eastern Atlantic – II. Peters, I. Kaplan
Effects on bitumen and kerogen
1984 Thermal reactions of kerogen with added water, T. Hoering Organic Geochemistry 5,
heavy water and pure organic substances 267–278 (1984)
1985 Evaluation of petroleum generation by hydrous M. Lewan Philosophical Transactions,
pyrolysis experimentation Royal Society, London,
Series A, 315, 123–134 (1985)
1992 Chemical evidence of kerogen formation in source S. Derenne, C. Largeau, E. GCA 55, 1041–1050 (1991)
rocks and oil shales via selective preservation of Casadevall, C. Berkaloff, B.
thin resistant outer walls of microalgae: origin of Rousseau
ultralaminae
1995 Evidence for metastable equilibrium between J. Seewald Nature 370, 285–287 (1994)
hydrocarbons under hydrothermal conditions

6. Content Papers in Organic Geochemistry. To date, 32 Best

Organic geochemistry is highly interdisciplinary,
as outlined above in the Aims and Scope of its jour-
nal Organic Geochemistry. An understanding of the
breadth and depth of the subject matter can be
gained by perusing the numerous papers within each
volume (Table 1) published for the twenty-one
IMOG conferences that have been held since 1962.
Also the textbooks in Tables 2 and 3 contain a vari-
ety of papers on subjects dealing with the multiple
aspects of organic geochemistry.
Another way to judge the content of this field is
to review the published papers that have been se-
lected by committee as Best Papers and Best Student
Paper Awards and 4 Best Student Paper Awards
have been presented. Best Papers were first selected
starting in 1971 and have been identified every year
(except 1988) thereafter until 1998. The 32 Best Pa-
pers have been organized here under four categories
(Table 4), although some papers could fit under
more than one category: Molecular Organic Geo-
chemistry (8 papers); Biogeochemistry (7 papers);
Petroleum Geochemistry (10 papers); and Miscella-
neous (7 papers). Nineteen of these papers were pub-
lished in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (GCA,
1974–1986).
The papers classified under Molecular Organic
Geochemistry deal with the discovery and
10 K.A. Kvenvolden / Organic Geochemistry 37 (2006) 1–11
Table 5
Organic Geochemistry Division, Best Student Paper Award Winners
Award year Title
1994 Laboratory studies of oxic and anoxic
degradation of chlorophyll-a in Long Island
sediments
1995 The geochemical evolution of low-molecular-
weight organic acids derived from the degradation
of petroleum contaminants in groundwater
1996 A novel triterpenoid carbon skeleton in immature
sulfur-rich sediments
1998 Hydrolysis of peptides in seawater and sediment
structural determination of several classes of or-
ganic molecules found in geological materials.
These molecules include di-, tri-, and tetraterpe-
noid hydrocarbons, aryl isoprenoid hydrocarbons,
steranes, carboxylic and amino acids, and sulfur-
containing lipids. In addition, the radiocarbon
ages of individual organic compounds have been
measured. Biogeochemistry papers are concerned
mainly with organic geochemical processes medi-
ated by organisms. For example, papers address
the biogeochemistry of lacustrine and marine sedi-
ments, lipid cycling, microbial generation of meth-
ane, including the use of carbon and hydrogen
isotopes, and palaeoenvironmental implications of
organic sulfur compounds. The category Petroleum
Geochemistry has papers on both bacterial and
thermal processes as applied to petroleum occur-
rence, including studies of isomerization and aro-
matization of petroleum molecules during basin
development. Organic molecules such as steranes,
terpanes, and monoaromatic and isoprenoid
hydrocarbons are used in the identification of
petroleum source rocks, in oil-rock correlations,
in assessment of organic matter maturity, and in
understanding the origin and migration of petro-
leum. Papers in the Miscellaneous category treat
the geochemistry of bulk organic carbon (kerogen)
and include thermal alteration experiments. The
four Best Student Papers were identified for the
years 1994–1998, and they also reflect some of
the content of organic geochemistry (Table 5).
Thus, the numerous publications in the IMOG
conference proceedings (Table 1), in organic geo-
chemical textbooks (Tables 2 and 3), in GCA, Or-
ganic Geochemistry, specialty journals, such as
Chemical Geology, Applied Geochemistry, Marine
Chemistry, Marine and Petroleum Geology, Bulletin
of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists,
Authors Source
M-Y. Sun, C. Lee, R. Aller GCA 57, 147–157 (1993)
L. Cozzarelli, M. Baedecker, GCA 58, 863–877 (1994)
R. Eganhouse, D. Goerlitz
S. Schouten GCA 59, 953–958 (1995)
S. Pantoja Marine Chemistry 57,
25–40 (1997)
Environmental Science and Technology, [notably the
Best Papers (Table 4) and the Best Student Papers
(Table 5)], and general journals, such as Science
and Nature, attest to the rich content of the field
of organic geochemistry.
7. Summary
In 70 years, organic geochemistry, an amalgama-
tion of aspects of organic chemistry and geology,
has become a mature and widely recognized geosci-
ence. The beginnings can be traced back to the early
part of the 20th century when Alfred E. Treibs, an
organic chemist, turned his attention to geological
materials and discovered the presence of significant
organic molecules in shale, coal, and crude oil. Not
only did he find complex organic molecules but, per-
haps more important, he traced the source of these
molecules to their biological precursors. For his
visionary and pioneering work, he is generally re-
garded as the ‘‘father’’ of organic geochemistry.
Formal recognition of organic geochemistry came
about in 1959, when an organization was estab-
lished to promote organic geochemical research,
and conferences focusing on organic geochemical
topics have been convened and have met regularly
since 1962. Because of the proliferation of scientific
papers on organic geochemistry, a need was identi-
fied for a journal, and Organic Geochemistry was
founded in 1977. Outstanding contributions to the
subject have been acknowledged with the presenta-
tion of various awards starting two years after the
journal was founded. Organic geochemistry is a
highly interdisciplinary field, comprising fundamen-
tal and applied research, and it is now an important
component of many studies in geology and in other
fields such as oceanography, hydrology, archaeol-
ogy, and cosmochemistry.
 K.A. Kvenvolden / Organic Geochemistry 37 (2006) 1–11
Acknowledgements
Many thanks go to B.R.T Simoneit for providing
encouragement for the preparation of this paper
and for valuable information on A.E. Treibs from
the comprehensive ‘‘Alfred Treibs Memorial Vol-
ume’’, which unfortunately has had very limited dis-
tribution. Thanks also go to B.W. Rogers, who
prepared the figures for this paper. Critical reviews
by Joe Curiale and James Maxwell are gratefully
acknowledged.
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